Monteverde and Walker set new season records and Robison Invitational

PROVO, Utah – Anginae Monteverde moved up to No. 3 all time on BYU’s outdoor pole vault top-10 list clearing 13-9.75 (4.21m) at the Clarence F. Robison Track and Field Complex during the Robison Invitational Wednesday-Saturday.

“My goal going into the meet was to beat the school record, which is 4.30m,” Monteverde said. “Even though I didn't make that, I still got an outdoor personal record (4.21m), and it was a ton of fun competing at home. I had the support of my family, friends, and all my teammates and I just hope to keep going higher and get that school record in the near future.”

Teammate Sierra Hansen also secured a place on the all-time pole vault top-10 list clearing 13-5.75 (4.11m). Both marks were season and career bests for Monteverde and Hansen. Entering the weekend, Monteverde’s vault would have placed her at No. 17 in then nation, while Hansen’s would have ranked No. 37

Shaquille Walker continued his record-setting season running the 400 meters in 46.00, good for No. 5 all-time in BYU’s history. Walker later anchored the men’s 4x400-meter relay team to a season-best time of 3:06.64. The time will likely place the 4x400 team in the top 20 nationally, heading in to the final month of the season.

“It was an outstanding meet in so many ways,” BYU head coach Ed Eyestone said. “The men’s 4x400-meter relay was a great way to end the meet. It was a wet track but the guys were really motivated to run a fast time. They really dug deep and ran a great time.”

Mark Carlson’s time of 50.79 in the 400-meter hurdle prelims on Friday was a personal record and will put him in the nation’s top 20 for the event. In the 400-meter hurdle finals on Saturday, Korey Smith placed first overall with a season-best time of 51.33.

“The time was within my goal, and it was a regional qualifying mark, so I was excited about that,” Smith said. “I feel stronger and more ready than I was last year at this time. I’m really looking forward to regionals.”

Smith’s and Carlson’s times will now give BYU at least two strong competitors at the West Regionals in the event.

In the women’s 400-meter hurdles, Kaylee Packham ran a personal best finishing in 59.52, the fastest time for a BYU women’s hurdler all season. Packham’s time will also earn her a spot in the West Regionals in late May.

“I was a little frustrated with my prelims race, because I had run the same time for the third time in a row,” Packham said. “But my coach gave me some great advice and I just tried to follow it. I know that we’ve been working hard all season so I knew my time had to drop sometime.”

Nicole Laws took first place in the women’s high jump clearing a regional qualifying mark of 5-09.25 (1.76m).

Other notable performances came in the men’s mile and men’s steeplechase. Chase Horrocks and Jonathan Harper finished first and second in the mile with times of 4:08.41 and 4:08.80, respectively. Tyler Crofts took first in the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:12.12.

Notable performances on the women’s side came in the women’s discus and triple jump. Madison Pachner placed second in the discus throwing 160-00.50 (48.78m), while Chloe Richardson took first in the triple jump leaping 39-03.25 (11.97m).

As a freshman running unattached in his redshirt season, Tatenda Tsumba took first in the 100 meters and 200 meters. His top times were 10.39 in the 100-meter prelims, and 20.46 in the 200-meter prelims. Tsumba’s times could now place him on Zimbabwe’s World Championship track team.

Complete results from the Robison Invitational can be found at runnercard.com

BYU track and field will compete again May 1-2 at Boise State University for the Idaho-Utah border clash. Another group consisting of mostly distance runners will compete May 2 in the Payton Jordan Invitational hosted by Stanford University.